As soon as I woke up, I opened the New Testament and my eyes fell on the
words, “This day, your life will be demanded of you.” Hoping for a second
opinion, I reached for a book of meditations and read, “It will be sooner than you
think.” Of course, I didn’t think I was going to die that day but, just in case, I
called a priest friend and informed him who should preach at my funeral. He was
mystified but I wanted to at least have that in order. That was fifty years ago, and
the friend and the prospective preacher have both died.
Our attitude towards dying might reflect that of the Book of Ecclesiastes, “What
has a man from all the toil and strain with which he toils beneath the sun?” (Ecc
2:21). What profit did we make?
Today’s second reading, from the Letter to the Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11, wants us
to turn our attention not only to Christ’s dying but to the effect of His death and
Resurrection on us here and now: “You have been raised up in company with
Christ” (Col 3:1). How are we raised with Christ?
St. Thomas Aquinas affirms, “The benefit that we have received is that, with the
resurrection of Christ, we also have risen” (Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on the
Letter of Paul to the Colossians, 135). How can we be raised when we haven’t
even died?
Jesus’ promise of life after death means that our lives are going somewhere. Our
lives have meaning beyond what we have accumulated. If Christ rose, then we
can hope in His promise that we too will rise. St. Thomas points out that in
Christ’s Resurrection we have “a hope for our bodily resurrection” (Commentary
on Colossians, 135).
Paul was baffled that some of his converts believed in Jesus’ Resurrection but
did not accept that believers also will rise: “Now if Christ is preached as raised
from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the
dead?” (1 Cor. 15:12).
According to Thomas, “Paul is saying in effect: When Christ arose, you also
arose… He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus”
(Commentary on Colossians, 136).
How are we “raised”? Paul insists that not only does Jesus’ death take away our
sins but His death and His Resurrection bring us into a new relationship with
God: “He was put to death for our trespasses and raised for our justification”
(Rom 4:25).
Thomas explains how Jesus’ Resurrection affects us, “… with the resurrection of
Christ we are restored to the life of justice”:
In both cases the effect brought about by the power of God is said to be
caused by Christ’s death and resurrection… the passion and death of

Christ are properly the causes of the remission of our faults, for we die to
sin. The resurrection, on the other hand, more properly causes the
newness of life through grace or justice (Summa Theologiae, 3a. 56, 2, ad
4).
Because of Jesus’ Resurrection, we will continue living, beyond physical death.
We also have the possibility of living in a new way, without being weighed down
by trying to accumulate something.
This hope in the Resurrection allows us to, “seek what is above” (Col 3:1). If we
are going to rise and if we can be released from our sins, living in a new way is
possible. This hope that we have affects our priorities. Living as Jesus did can
become our priority.
Thomas explains that we should look to the “principal end” and then “should
judge other things in the light of that end.” A contemporary athlete keeps an eye
on the goal so that all his/her actions move the ball towards the goal.
Jesus said: “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things
shall be yours as well” (Mt 6:33). If God’s kingdom is the priority, we measure
everything else by that.
Being with God is our priority, as the Psalm states: “One thing have I asked of
the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the
days of my life” (Ps 27:4).
Colossians proclaims: “Seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at
God’s right hand” (Col 3:1). The New Testament description of Jesus sitting “at
God’s right hand,” echoes Psalm 110:1, where God declares to the new king, “Sit
at My right hand.”
Thomas points out that sitting at God’s right hand should be taken “figuratively,”
since God doesn’t have a body. For many people, the right hand or arm is
stronger than the left. In this way, Christ sits at the right hand of the Father
because, in His humanity, Christ, is joined with the “stronger and better goods of
the Father” In His divinity, “Christ is equal to the Father” (Commentary on
Colossians, 138). We seek what is related to Christ who is seated with the
Father.
The Letter to the Colossians declares: “Set your mind on things that are above,
not on things of earth” (Col 3:2). Thomas explains that we should have the
intention to “die to sin in order to live a life of justice and so be taken up into
glory… We arose through Christ; but He is seated at the right hand of God, and
so our desire should be to be with Him” (Commentary on Colossians, 138).
Jesus announced: “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Mt
6:21).
People who long for something say that their “heart” is there. As Christians, our
hearts are where Christ is. According to Thomas, “We should judge other things

in the light of Christ, governing our lives by Christ and judging all other things by
Him” (Commentary on Colossians, 138).
We ask Christ to show us what He wants in the different situations of our lives.
This is “The wisdom from above” of which James speaks (Jas. 3:17).
As humans we continually evaluate events. We determine what we need to do
according to our values, which may be those of our society. Thomas observes:
“A person sets his mind on things that are on earth when he orders and judges
all things according to earthly goods, considering them the highest goods: ‘They
glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things’” (Phil 3:19) (Commentary
on Colossians, 139). .
The Letter to the Colossians instructs: “You have died and your life is hidden with
Christ in God” (Col 3:3). In the Letter to the Romans, Paul said: “So you also
must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Rom
6:11).
Thomas reflects: “Do not set your minds on earthly things, because you have
died to an earthly way of life. And a person who has died to this kind of life does
not set his mind on the things of this world. This is the way you should act if you
have died, with Christ, to the elements of this world” (Commentary on
Colossians, 141).
Thomas adds, “When he said, ‘consider yourselves dead,’ he followed this with,
‘and alive’” (Commentary on Colossians, 141). The emphasis is more on the
ways we are ‘alive’ with Christ than on the ways that we are ‘dead.’
Colossians declares: “your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Col 3:3). We have
“another life,” as Thomas asserts: “We acquire this life through Christ”
(Commentary on Colossians, 142). The First Letter of Peter affirms: “For Christ
also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might
bring us to God” (1 Pet. 3:18).
Thomas explains: “Because this life is obtained through Christ, and Christ is
hidden from us because He is in the glory of the Father, this life which is given to
us through Him is also hidden, namely, where Christ is, in the glory of the Father”
(Commentary on Colossians, 142).
Colossians affirms that “When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear
with Him in glory” (Col 3:4). Thomas explains:
“Paul says, ‘when Christ who is our life appears’, because He is the
Author of our life, and because our life consists in knowing and loving Him:
‘It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me’ (Gal 2:20). When
Christ appears then you also will appear: ‘When He appears we shall be
like Him’ (1 Jn 3:2), that is, in glory…” (Commentary on Colossians, 143).

We should not pass over Thomas’ words, “Our life consists in knowing and loving
Him.” According to Thomas, that is what life is all about. Christ is not at a
distance: “Christ lives in me” (Gal 2:20).
Thomas shows from the principle that our lives are hidden with Christ, our
actions should follow, avoiding sin and practicing good habits. Colossians
declares “Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly” (Col 3:5).
Thomas clarifies that our lives involve many actions but these actions are good
when they follow a certain order: “In a good life, prudence is like the eye, which
directs a person; and courage is like the feet, which support and carry him”
(Commentary on Colossians, 145). Prudence indicates the good way that we do
our actions. Courage gives us strength to do these actions in that good way.
Evil deeds are done in the opposite way, as Thomas shows, “In an evil life,
craftiness becomes the eye, and obstinacy becomes the feet. Therefore, these
members must be put to death” (Commentary on Colossians, 145). According
to Thomas, we must put to death the ways that are disingenuous and resistant to
God.
Being alive in Christ means that we are alive with healing grace, even if we
struggle, as Thomas observes:
To the extent we have died to sin, to that extent we are alive with grace.
For the life of grace heals us with respect to our mind; but not entirely as
to our body, because it retains a tendency to sin: ‘I of myself serve the law
of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin’ (Rom 7:25)
and…’I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind
and making me captive to the law of sin which dwells in my members’
(Rom 7:23) (Commentary on Colossians, 145).
Paul knew this conflict from his own experience, as he confides to us: “I drive my
body and train it, for fear that, after having preached to others, I myself shall be
disqualified” (1 Cor 9:27).
Thomas notes that some sins are carnal and other sins are partly carnal. Thomas
observes, that although these actions may “accord with the nature of man as
animal, they are not fitting to it as rational, because every sin is opposed to
reason” (Commentary on Colossians, 145). Thomas’ emphasis on the reason as
a guide is a key principle in his understanding of the human person.
Among the sins to be put to death are: “immorality, impurity and passion, evil
desire and covetousness which is idolatry” (Col 3:5). Other vices are “evil
desires, greed… anger, fury, malice, slander, obscene language…” (Col 3:8).
“Covetousness” that becomes idolatry can be seen in today’s Gospel (Luke
12:13-21), where a man builds new barns to store his surplus, without realizing
that he will die that very night.

Thomas explains why greed is idolatry: “… a covetous person puts his very life in
money. We have idolatry when someone gives to some image the honor owed to
God; but a covetous person gives to money the honor owed to God, because he
builds his whole life around it” (Commentary on Colossians, 147). Still, Thomas
acknowledges that even if greed is compared to idolatry it is less a sin than
idolatry.
The Letter to the Colossians instructs us: “You have taken off the old self with its
practices, and have put on the new self, which is being renewed, for knowledge,
in the image of its creator” (Col 3:9-10).
Thomas reflects that as “one puts off what is old, he should put on what is new.”
As Jesus says, “No one sews an old patch on a new garment,” (Mt 9:16).
Thomas comments: “This old nature, this old self, is approaching decay, because
sin is the road to decay. In addition, sin destroys virtue and spiritual beauty.”
Our nature becomes old because of sin, as Thomas explains: “This old nature,
therefore, or old self, is the oldness of sin.” Paul says: “We know that our old self
was crucified with Him so that the sinful body might be destroyed” (Rom 6:6).
Likewise the Letter to the Ephesians proclaims: ““Put off your old nature which
belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful lusts” (Eph
4:22).
Thomas explains that grace renews the mind: “The new nature or self is the
mind, renewed from within, because before grace our mind is subject within to
sin, and when it is renewed by grace it becomes new” Thomas recalls the verse
of the psalm: “Your youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (Ps 103:5).
Paul declares: “For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision,
but a new creation” (Gal 6:15). Thomas affirms: “This new creation is renewing
grace.” He admits: “There is an oldness that still remains in our flesh.”
Nevertheless, even while living with the attraction to sin, the Christian can live a
new life: “If you follow the judgment of the new nature, the new self, you are
putting on the new nature or new self; while if you lust according to the desires of
the flesh, you are putting on the old self or nature.” The Letter to the Ephesians
affirms: “Put on the new nature, created after the likeness of God in true
righteousness and holiness” (Eph 4:24).
From the Letter to the Colossians, “put on the new self, which is being renewed
for knowledge, in the image of its creator,” Thomas understands that the inner
self is made new by faith and knowledge of God: “… the inner self, having
become old by its ignorance of God, is made new by faith and the knowledge of
God.” Paul attests: “We are being changed into His likeness from one degree of
glory to another” (2 Cor 3:18).
Thomas identifies the mind as the human element that is renewed: “And where is
this renewal taking place? It is taking place where the image of God is, and this is
not in the sense faculties, but in the mind. And so Paul says, after the image of

its creator. In other words, the image of God in us is being renewed”
(Commentary on Colossians, 155).
Thomas understands Colossians 3:11, “Christ is all and in all” to mean that all
people are invited to this renewal: “This renewal is for everyone, otherwise it
would not pertain to human nature as such. And this renewal pertains to all
because it was accomplished with respect to what is common to all”
(Commentary on Colossians, 156).
Thomas considers the differences between male and female are only physical:
“because men and women do not differ in mind, but in their physical sex”
(Commentary on Colossians, 156). Thomas comments on the lack of
differences among those who are in Christ so that there are neither Jews or
Gentiles, free people or slaves:
“But there is no difference in Christ … in Christ they are all alike…
Therefore, none of these differences exist in Christ, but Christ is all, and in
all. For circumcision is obtained through Christ alone, and freedom comes
from Christ alone. If you are not free, Christ is your freedom; if you are not
circumcised, Christ is your circumcision, and so on. And Christ is in all,
because He gives His gifts to all” (Commentary on Colossians, 156).

Denis Vincent Wiseman, O.P.